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White Rock to share water-treatment technology

Research findings to be up for perusal at Jan. 25 open house
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The City of White Rock is set to host a ‘Water Research Open House’ next week, “to inform the public of the technology selected for the city’s water that will reduce the levels of naturally occurring arsenic and manganese.”

The event, planned for 6-8 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 25) at the White Rock Community Centre (15154 Russell Ave.), is to also include information on the build of the water-treatment plant, a news release issued Friday afternoon notes.

“In just over two years,the City has taken many steps to improve water quality and infrastructure in White Rock that previous operators of the water utility did not address,” the release states.

The city acquired the utility from Edmonton-based Epcor in October 2015. The cost of the move – $13.4 million – was disclosed two years later.

Last March, a federal/provincial joint-funding contribution of $11.8 million was announced for planned arsenic and manganese treatment facilities.

That grant has helped fund research and data analysis with UBC-based network RES’EAU-WaterNET, including investigating the efficacy of different technologies, the release states.

“Water chemistry can be unique from one site to another which is why thorough research must be conducted to ensure that the treatment processes we put in place for White Rock are right for our water,” Dr. Saad Jasim, the city’s manager of utilities, said in the release.

“We based our actions and recommendations regarding water quality on science, data and research which is held to international standards. By partnering with RES’EAU-WaterNET and through the testing of various technologies and processes, I am confident that we have achieved a solution which will provide White Rock residents with an even higher quality of drinking water for years to come. We look forward to sharing our findings with the public at our Water Research Open House on January 25th.”



Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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